1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a medical image processing device, a medical image processing method, and a computer readable medium.
2. Related Art
In the related art, a volume rendering method is known as a method of acquiring a three-dimensional image in an object. In the volume rendering method, by projecting a virtual ray voxels in a volume data from a virtual start point, an image is projected to a projection plane and the volume data is visualized. Hereinafter, an image acquired using the volume rendering method is also referred to as a volume rendering image.
The volume rendering method includes a maximum intensity projection (MIP) method and a ray casting method.
In the MIP method, a maximum value of intensity of voxels on a virtual ray is acquired, this value is mapped on the projection plane, and the volume data is visualized. Hereinafter, an image acquired using the MIP method is also referred to as an MIP image.
In the ray casting method, sampling points are selected at constant intervals along a path of a virtual ray, voxel values of voxels at the sampling points are acquired, and a reflected ray is accumulated while attenuating the virtual ray at the sampling points, whereby the volume data is visualized. Hereinafter, an image acquired using the ray casting method is also referred to as a ray casting image.
In the related art, a device that distinguishes organs in a biological body, allocates different colors to the organs, and generates an MIP image is known as a medical image processing device that generates an MIP image (for example, see US 2012/0177258 A).
In the related art, a device that distinguishes organs in a biological body, allocates different colors to the organs, and generates a ray casting image is known as a medical image processing device that generates a ray casting image (for example, see JP-A-2009-160306).